Shrinathji is a form of Krishna, manifested as a seven-year-old child. The principal shrine of Shrinathji is the Shrinathji Temple in the temple city of Nathdwara, 48 kilometres north-east of Udaipur city in Rajasthan,India. Shrinathji is the central presiding deity of the Vaishnava sect known as Pushtimarg (the way of grace) or the Vallabha Sampradaya, established by Vallabhacharya. Shrinathji is worshipped mainly by the followers of Bhakti Yoga and the Vaishnavas in Gujarat and Rajasthan, and Bhatias amongst others.
Vitthal Nathji, son of Vallabhacharya institutionalised the worship of Shrinathji at Nathdwara. On account of the popularity of Shrinathji, Nathdwara city itself is referred to as ‘Shrinathji’. People also call it Bava's (Shreenathji Bava) Nagri. Initially, the child Krishna deity was referred to as Devadāman ("the conqueror of Gods" referring to the over-powering of Indra by Krishna in the lifting of Govardhan hill). Vallabhacharya named him as Gopala and the place of his worship as ‘Gopalpur’. Later, Vitthal Nathji named the deity as Shrinathji. Shrinathji's seva is performed in 8 parts of the day.
History
Legend
In 1409, a stone appeared on Govardhan Hill. The stone appeared on nāgpañcamī, thus the locals believed the stone to be an image of a snake deity. Years later on the day of Vallabhācārya's birth, the stone moved further out of the ground, revealing a human head. Śrī Govardhananāthjī then appeared to Saḍḍupāṇḍe in a vision, where he revealed that the stone was his own svarūpa. Later Vallabhācārya visited Saḍḍupāṇḍe, where he heard the story of Śrī Govardhananāthjī's svarūpa. Vallabhācārya then built a shrine and had Śrī Nāthjī installed there. He enlisted Rāmdās Cauhān to perform the regular worship of Śrī Nāthjī.
History
According to the legend, the Srinathji deity self-manifested from stone and emerged from the Govardhan Hills. Historically, the image of Shrinathji was first worshipped at Govardhan hill, near Mathura. The image was initially shifted from Mathura in 1672 A.D. along river Yamuna and was retained at Agra for almost six months, in order to safeguard it from, according to legend, the Mughal ruler Aurangzeb, who wished to keep the prestigious deity with him in Agra. Subsequently, the image was transferred further south on a chariot to a safer place to protect it from barbarian destruction unleashed by Mughal ruler Aurangzeb. When the icon reached the spot at village Sihad or Sinhad in Mewar, the wheels of the chariot in which the icon was being transported sank into mud and could not be moved any farther. The accompanying priests realised that the place was the Shrinathji's chosen spot and, accordingly, the icon was installed in a temple there under the rule and protection of the then Maharana Raj Singh of Mewar. No other Hindu ruler was ready to take the image in his kingdom as it would mean to oppose the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, who was the most powerful man in India at that time.
In the anomical environment of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the temple of Shrinathji was attacked by the Medas and the Pindaris. Accordingly, the icon was shifted again and was protected at Udaipur and Ghasiyar under the patronage of Maharana Bheem Singh of Mewar.